Heroes
by Becky Sky
Summary: Heroism isn't easy. Especially if you've been kidnapped by Cronus and have to fight your own worst enemy... yourself.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Wind whistled through the cracks of the sliding door as the stout scientist swiped his access card and stepped over the threshold. He walked briskly towards his classroom, fumbling for the keys. With a click, he turned the key in the lock and entered his room. Tall windows ran from the floor to the ceiling, and an oak desk sat centered in the middle of the large room. A blackboard dusty with chalk boasted complex mathematical equations, and at the back of the room stood his pride and joy. It was a machine. A large vacuum sprouted wires that connected to a metal helmet colourful with buttons; red, green, and blue. Below the vacuum was a large glass chamber, full of sand. It was still being experimented with, but so far everything had been running smoothly. He grinned; if it worked, he would be able to rid people of the bad side of themselves. They could become a perfect race!

"But I need someone to test it on," he commented aloud.

"I know seven children who would be good candidates," a low, gruff voice said. He whirled around to face the intruder, only to be engulfed by giant hands…

Maniacal laughter resounded throughout the room as a tall man dressed in black nodded towards one of his giant henchmen, who obediently began to dismantle the machine and place the separate parts in a large brown bag.

"Those kids won't even know what hit them…" the god chuckled. "This is gonna be fun!"


	2. Spasms, School, and Spit Balls

Chapter One: Spasms, School, and Spit balls

**A/n: So this is just the beginning of my new story. It will get a lot more serious later on, but I thought I'd just have a chapter that reminds us they are still teenagers, and have a life other than saving the world, which involves hormones, spit balls, and such. And I don't own Cott… just the dream of doing so.**

Buzz-buzz. Jay groaned as his alarm clock rang on the dresser beside his bed. He slammed his hand down on the button and turned it off, sitting up while yawning. Sunlight streamed through his sunroof, and a cool spring wind caressed his tawny bangs across his high cheekbones. It was time for school. He grabbed his usual outfit of a purple and yellow striped sweater that he only wore because his mother had gotten it for him as a birthday present, and light blue jeans. He slipped on his loafers and headed to the washroom for a shower. He shared this floor with Theresa and Neil, and Atlanta, Archie, and Herry slept in the floor below. Odie, the lucky guy, got a whole floor to himself in the basement.

If he was fortunate he could get it before Neil got in there, because if not he would be waiting for a long time. He ran into Theresa walking out, her long fiery hair streaked with blonde still wet and limp. Her green eyes sparkled as she grinned at him.

"Nice boxers," she teased. He blushed and stared down at his light blue boxer shorts patterned with miniature sail boats. By the time he looked back up she had gone back into her room to get her books packed up for school that day. He sighed and brushed his hair from his face, wondering if he'd ever get his courage up to tell her his feelings. Jay wasn't afraid of much, but the way he felt about her made him just plain scared. At least he wasn't Archie, who stammered or just said stupid stuff around Atlanta. Or like Neil, who was in love with himself. He imagined kissing himself and shuddered. He hoped Neil hadn't gone that far.

He quickly showered and got dressed, hurrying downstairs to eat. He found that most of the team was gone except for Theresa and Herry, who were arguing over what to eat for breakfast.

"Where's everyone else?" he asked.

"They went ahead," Theresa answered, before turning back to Herry. "Pancakes!" she snapped.

"French toast!"

"Pancakes!"

"Where's Neil? Did he go ahead too?" Jay interrupted. Herry stared at him, relieved for having been saved from making the same old retort. "Yep, Ms. Beautiful wanted him over there for an extra lesson before school started."

"Guys and goddesses," Theresa muttered lowly. "So shallow."

"You mean he actually got up early?" Jay looked surprised. Theresa shrugged carelessly. "You know Neil. Anything that has to do with himself he's all for."

Then, with a leap out of her chair, she bombarded Athena as she entered the kitchen with a bag of groceries. "Can we have pancakes?" she begged. Herry came up behind her and grabbed her around the waist, twirling her around to get into Athena's face.

"French toast!" he bellowed as Theresa struggled against his grasp, kicking. Then he roared in pain as she bit his finger. He let go of her, and she dropped to the floor with a thump.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Jay asked.

"I want pancakes," Theresa pouted pathetically, sticking out her full lower lip. Jay rolled his eyes.

"And I want French toast!"

"STOP THIS INSTANT!" Athena shrieked. The teens stared at her, eyes bulging as the goddess of war writhed with displeasure. "Neither of you will get what you want. You will have cereal and get your sorry butts over to the school. Understood?"

Theresa and Herry exchanged looks and nodded mutely. Meekly, they received bowls from the cupboards and poured their cereal, dribbling the milk over the flakes. They gave each other killer looks over their glasses of juice, and Jay sighed in relief.

Within moments the teens had finished their breakfast and packed the rest if their homework into their bags.

"I'm taking my truck to school," Herry announced, dangling his car keys between his fingers. "You, my lady," he said, bowing mockingly to Theresa, "Can walk."

Theresa raised her eyebrow in annoyance. "I have a car too, idiot," she snapped viciously. Herry grinned as she stomped upstairs to get her keys.

"You want a ride?" he asked Jay, who shook his head. "Thanks man, but I think I'll wait for Theresa."

"Suit yourself, Lover Boy," he answered, shrugging. He walked out of the dorm, pockets jingling.

As Jay heard the motor of Herry's truck revving, an infuriated screech arose from upstairs. "HERRY! That… BOY!!" Theresa rushed downstairs, her green eyes flashing with anger and red hair flying out behind her like a banner. Face as flushed as a tomato, she shoved past Jay and out into the street, waving her fist at the departing red truck.

"I'll get you for this!" she yelled.

"What is it?" Jay asked, following her out onto the street. The bare asphalt was full of cracks, and tiny green plants struggled to grow through them. He nearly tripped over one of those cracks as he hustled towards her.

"He stole my keys!" she whispered tearfully. Jay gawked at her, astounded. Theresa never cried. Kicked; yes, punched; yes, and laughed things off; yes. But cried? Never.

"Theresa, what is going on?" he snapped, shaking her shoulders roughly. "You never act like this! You're acting like a spaz!"

Eyelids blinking sporadically, she turned on him. "I'm going through my time of month, since you really need to know!" she barked. "Cronus isn't taking over my brain, he isn't going to hurt anyone right now, and you don't have to worry about it. So relax!"

She stalked into the house, grabbed her bags, and stomped outside, marching off towards the school with her back stiff and shoulders hunched. Jay just stood frozen in the middle of the road, still gaping like a fish. Finally he came to his senses and shook his head in disbelief.

"Man, now I gotta save the city from her!" he muttered to himself before heading inside to seize his stuff and walk over to the school.

Archie slammed his locker shut and looked around cautiously to make sure nobody was watching him. Then he sneaked across the hall to Atlanta's locker, his fingers sweating into the slip of paper in his hand. He reread the words to help him keep his nerve.

"_Red haired delight_

_Oh maiden knight_

_With eyes of nutty brown and green_

_Shining with a determined sheen_

_Wild Princess, Beautiful Queen_

_My words can't go unsaid or not spoken_

_I love you more than anything else,_

_I'm not joking._

_Please give me a chance to prove my worth_

_And not just some stupid jerk._

_Give me a chance to be your man_

_Please, Lan. _

_Love, Your Secret Admirer_

He hadn't had enough courage to sign his name to it. He sighed; nothing was going to change. She'd get the note, just like all his other ones, ask if he wrote it, he'd say no, and she'd throw it away in disgust. As he approached her locker, he reached out his hand to slip it inside when a red blur flashed in front of him. Then there stood Atlanta, smiling triumphantly.

"Aha!" she exclaimed, reaching for his note. Automatically, he stuffed it in his mouth and chewed it, making a sickened face as he did so.

"What are you doing?" she cried in dismay.

"What are you doing here?" he asked stupidly through a mouth full of paper mush.

"It's my locker, dork," she retorted, ruffling his hair affectionately. "What are YOU doing here?" she asked curiously. He reddened and swallowed nervously. "And what was that note about?"

He didn't have a chance to explain as Herry and Odie joined them, binders in their arms. "What's up?" Odie asked.

"Nothing," he said quickly, and rushed off to his first class, leaving the others with puzzled looks on their faces.

Neil flicked a spit ball at the back of Herry's head, earning him a dangerous look from the brawny teen. He grinned mischievously and repeated the procedure. This time he laughed outright as Herry rubbed the back of his head rapidly, trying to dispel the spit from his hair.

Of course, if Neil's perfect hair was being bombarded by insolent little balls of paper and spit, he'd be shrieking. But he never got hit in the head with them. This was just a regular day in the life of a teen, and he was loving it. Of course, as soon as Cronus showed up, everything would change, but for now, life was good.

"Would you like to share something with the class, Neil?" asked the teacher from the front of the room.

"No, ma'am," he said politely, and as she turned back to the blackboard, he got back to having fun. Odie, who was sitting beside him taking notes, rolled his eyes upward towards the ceiling and made a mental note to give Neil a drink that would keep him in the bathroom and out of trouble for a REALLY long time.


	3. Girls, Guys, and Gossip

Chapter Two: Girls, Guys, and Gossip

**A/n: Okay, so this is some more of that normal teenage stuff… but you've got to admit it is pretty dang hilarious. I promise we'll get to the action later on, but right now we need to dig a little deeper into the relationships, maybe to set up for later on… hinthintnudgenudge. **

**Oh, and I don't own Cott, but… I own a fairly big TV to watch it on… Hey, you gotta do with what you got!**

"Oh, my whole body aches," moaned one of Theresa and Atlanta's team mates after the field hockey practice. "I don't know why I bother."

Theresa and Atlanta exchanged amused glances. After putting up with Ares' merciless training, this was a treat. "Oh, suck it up," Theresa said scornfully.

The other girls were surprised by her negative reaction. Atlanta whispered, "She's going through… you know."

"Ahh." Stephanie and the others smiled knowingly, Steph showing off her braces and milky white teeth. She ran her hands through her mousy brown hair and sighed. "I totally feel for you," she said sympathetically. "When I was going through… you know, I flipped out at my boyfriend. He was a bit scared of me for a few weeks afterwards." She grinned sheepishly. "How's Jay taking it?"

Theresa whipped her head around sharply, her eyes boring into Stephanie's. "What do you mean?"

Stephanie flushed, embarrassed. "Aren't you two… a couple?" she asked.

Theresa shook her head. I wish, she thought. "Who told you that?"

"Everyone's talking about it," Stephanie said loftily. Theresa gasped in terror. "No!"

"Yep," she confirmed.

Atlanta couldn't renounce a snicker, and Theresa whirled on her. "YOU!" she screeched. "You started that rumour!"

Atlanta threw her hands up in an innocent gesture. "Who, me?"

Then she whizzed away on nimble feet as Theresa lunged at her, chasing her around the wooden bench. "How could you?" she shrieked angrily, leaping across the bench in a sudden desperate attempt to block her friend's way. Instead it only managed to achieve Atlanta being unable to stop her speed, and in a blur of legs and arms and red hair, both girls tumbled to the floor, Atlanta smashed under her larger friend.

She peeked through Theresa's long fiery hair, which had managed to slap her in the face like a whip. She wondered how Jay had reacted when he heard the rumour…

"Hey Jay, you going out with that cute chick from Biology?" asked Dan, a jock from Jay's gym class. He was tall, with chestnut hair, blue eyes, and muscles that made the cheerleaders drool. Jay shook his head. "Why?"

"That's what's going around. You sure?"

"Positive," Jay answered coldly, but he was wondering what this guy's interest was. "She's just a friend." But I wish she were more, he thought wistfully.

"Nice!" he elbowed his buddies, grinning. "I got myself a date then for Friday night." His friends grinned maliciously, but Jay hinted a glimmer of envy in their eyes. He shuddered at the thought of Theresa going out with that guy. He was a well-known heart-breaker, and a sudden surge of protectiveness and jealousy overwhelmed him.

"What makes you think she'd want to date YOU?" he asked boldly, drawing himself up to his full height. Herry, Neil and Odie, also in his gym class, were suddenly on alert, lingering nearby in case they were needed to help Jay in a fight.

Dan advanced threateningly, flexing his muscles. "What makes you think she wouldn't?"

Jay had no idea why he said the following, but once he did, it felt so right… well, for a second anyway. "She's in love with me," he said rashly, beaming triumphantly. A sickening silence followed, and then Jay felt like running to the nearest hole in the ground and sticking his head in forever.

Then Dan threw his head back and laughed, his whole body vibrating in his disbelief. "You flatter yourself," he said scornfully. "But since I want another laugh, I won't beat you up. Prove it, and ask her out. Let's see what she says." Jay froze, fear tingling through his veins. What had he done? But he had to prove to himself he wasn't a coward, and he had to find out if she loved him back, no matter how much pain it was. He locked eyes with Dan, his chocolate orbs penetrating the outer layer of mean to the meeker coward that lay beneath.

"Fine, I will." Now all he had to do was find another country to live in, so he wouldn't have to face her. Him and his big mouth! Another dimension would be even better! He stared at the ground as the boys wandered away, and his friends stared at him in awe. He felt like Archie.

Archie wanted to scream. He had been so close to giving her that note! He felt like jabbing himself with a pen again and again, as though that would somehow smarten him up. Walking down the hall towards the bathroom, he stopped by his locker to get a pencil and paper. Then he rushed to the boy's bathroom and locked himself in a stall. Sitting down on the closed seat, he began to scribble wildly.

A door opened and closed as another guy entered the washroom. He didn't go into a stall, but stood at the long mirror, running his hands through his hair. Archie peeked through the crack of the door more closely, and realized it was Jay.

"What am I going to do?" he was murmuring. "You know what you have to do, Jay, ask her out."

Archie blinked. He was the only one in the bathroom, and Jay obviously didn't know he was here. That could only mean… Jay was talking to himself?

Archie let him be, but he couldn't help but wonder if this was as normal a life as they would ever accomplish being heroes with a certain destiny. He shook his head and went back to jotting down his poem.

"I wonder what Jay is going to do," Odie wondered. He was sitting in the cafeteria with Neil and Herry, who were eating burgers and slurping pop.

"Ask her out, of course," Neil answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and someone of Odie's brains should have figured that out already.

"Naw, that's not Jay. He'll probably fret about it so much he looses his nerve."

Herry shook his head in empathy. "Poor guy," he said.

"Not really. I mean, what if she says yes?"

"What if she says no?"

"What if who says no?" asked a voice. They all jumped a foot in the air and turned to see Tara, a girl from Odie's chemistry class. She smiled shyly and ducked her head a bit to let her long black hair fall across her face.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked quietly, and she looked up at them, brown eyes full of hope.

"Sure, come sit," Herry said cheerfully, his tone friendly. She smiled gratefully at him and sat down, blushing slightly.

"Who were you talking about?" her voice was soft and melodious, and Herry found himself leaning forward eagerly to hear her every word.

"Theresa," he blurted out.

She looked surprised. "You mean you like her, and were going to ask her out?" she rushed, flushing a deep pink.

Herry looked confused. "No way!" he cried, openly wincing. "No offence to her, but yuck. She's like a little sister."

"Oh." She looked relieved, and then she ducked her head down again. "So, who do you like?" she asked Odie, but she was watching Herry out of the corner of her eye.

Odie grinned. He knew Tara well, and that she was just trying to make conversation and find out if someone else at this table liked someone. And he knew who. Tara was like a sister to him, and she was a great chem. partner as well. She was almost as clever as he, and that was saying something.

"Oh, I like a girl from out of town, named Valerie." He remembered when he met her, with her big blue eyes and ash blonde hair. But he didn't allow himself to daydream; he had to help Tara get Herry. He owed her for when she saved his butt on a chemistry experiment and helped him get an A plus.

Herry was eating his burger ignorantly, and Tara sighed and looked down at the floor, as though a cute guy would pop out of it and keep her interest down there for awhile.

**A/n: Oh, could someone like Herry? Could she be an important part of the story later on? Who knows… Please review and tell me what you think! I promise there will be more action later and it will get a lot more interesting! Luv, Becky**


	4. Braggarts, Brats, and Brawl

Chapter Three: Braggart, Brats, and Brawl

**Disclaimer: Don't own Cott… but I do have a cat! And a dog! And another cat! But Cott… Not in a million years. And wow! 9 reviews already! Thanks so much everyone who's been reviewing! And I promise, as always, there will be more action. But I need to develop some tension and romance first... Hehee, before everything goes wrong…**

"Hmm, this is interesting," Cronus murmured as he watched the kids from his scrying pool. The ripples revealed a short young girl with long black hair that swept halfway across her face, and big brown eyes. She seemed to be attracted to the heroes for some reason. Maybe that could be helpful to him.

"Garr, how could she!" Theresa huffed, her smooth red hair affray as she stomped down the halls of the high school. "That little-"

"Theresa?" she turned to see Dan, the school heartthrob, walking towards her. Even she, as incapable as she was for falling for weird guys, couldn't resist her beating heart when she saw his cornflower blue eyes.

"HI!" she said a little too loudly and a little too fast. She grinned wobblingly, her legs feeling like mush. "What's… up?"

"I wanted to ask you something," he said in his deep voice that reminded her of comfort and warmth. Blush heated her cheeks, and she found herself staring down at the ground bashfully.

"What?"

"Wanna go out Friday night?" Her head snapped up, eyes wide. She checked to make sure her hair was tidy and neat. But when she felt his eyes searing into her body, her common sense returned, and she didn't need a sixth sense to realize he was a total jerk.

"NO." She said it so forcefully he stared at her, astonished. She grinned viciously. "What, am I the only girl smart enough to have said no before you took advantage of her?"

His face went a bright hue of red, and he proceeded portentously, cracking his knuckles.

"Ohh, scary," she taunted. His eyes narrowed, and he lunged for her. She dodged and swept to one side. Whirling, he advanced again, but this time she sent a round house kick aimed for his gut, knocking his bragging words right out of his sick mouth. He let out a gasp and buckled, collapsing to the ground. She walked over to him and leaned over, her hair dangling across his face to tickle his nose.

"I think I'll stick to the cute guys," she hissed meanly. "Don't ever talk, touch, or even look at me again. Got it?" He stared up at her through wide blue eyes that barely masked the terror inside. "Or else I will spread around that you got beat up… by a _girl_."

She straightened and strode off to her next class with Persephone.

"Hey, Jay!" The boy turned to see Atlanta, his youngest friend, rushing towards him before her next class, hazel eyes glowing in exhilaration. "Guess what!"

"What?" he asked inquisitively.

"You know Dan, that brute on the football team?"

His face darkened, and he remembered the dare that had preoccupied him the whole day. He nodded. He knew that jerk too well.

"Well, Theresa told me that he asked her out, and… she said no! And the best part is that he attacked her…"

"WHAT?" He would kill him…

"But she kicked his butt from here to the moon!" Atlanta halted her exuberant ramble, eyes shining in delight. "And who says girls have no fight," she spat scornfully.

Then she turned and ran off, leaving Jay baffled and hopeful. Maybe he had a chance. And if he didn't, maybe Theresa would be merciful to him. Besides, they were friends first, right? Jay tried not to get too nervous. He would ask her after school, this time for himself, not to prove anything to some coward who got beat up by a girl. No, he would do this for himself.

When Archie heard the news about Dan, he couldn't say he was surprised. Things like that always happened to the team. People decided to pick on them, and they fought back. It was the way their lives ran, and to make a big deal about it would only alert the gods, who would not hesitate to punish them for their behaviour in public. Archie smirked when he remembered how jubilant he had been to live away from his parents. But having gods for guardians were much worse than parents.

"Archie, pick up speed!" Ares barked at him, and he did so, panting heavily as he ran his laps around the Olympic-sized track. You didn't say no to Ares, ever. The god of war checked his watch and shook his head. "I've still seen better," he muttered.

Archie rolled his eyes. It was the same old routine. "There's always someone better," he shot. "And let me guess, it was Achilles."

"No, it was Atlanta."

Oh, Darn. Now he wouldn't hear the end of it.

At the end of the day, the heroes met outside the school to decide if they were going to go downtown for a little while or not. Theresa crossed her arms and glared at Herry, who, after a look from Jay, meekly handed her car keys over into her hand. She pocketed them, and suddenly her fists clenched as she saw Dan walking across the parking lot towards them. There was a sneer on his face, and he walked with the confidence he had had before Theresa fought him. She wondered what had happened, but she almost didn't want to know.

Jay stiffened as he caught sight of him, and he stepped up to meet him. A bewildered expression crossed Theresa's face, but Herry, Odie, and Neil all stepped forward as well, surrounding Jay to make quite a scary looking gang.

"I'm not here for a fight," Dan said loftily. "Just come to ask if you did your dare."

Her eyes conical, they bore through Jay's back. "What dare?" she hissed lowly, a snake waiting for the strike. She could almost see the shiver trailing up his spine.

"This lout was supposed to ask you out," Dan said, grinning nastily at Jay's discomfort.

She ran up to him, refraining herself from punching his face in. "What business is it to you?" she spat in his face. "I told you to stay away."

He stroked her face with his finger, meandering down her chin line, and he smiled sadistically. She snapped at it, and smiled when a yelp escaped his lips. She tasted blood, and saltiness trickled down her throat. She almost gagged, but let his finger go.

"Why don't you ask him what business of mine it is," he said through clenched teeth. "Wait, never mind. He was supposed to ask you out to see what you'd say, and if you said no, I'd kick his butt."

She couldn't believe her ears. "He was supposed to ask me out to save his skin?"

"He bragged that you wouldn't go out with me because you were in love with him!"

She reeled about to see that Jay was flushing such a deep red it was almost purple. He was angry, embarrassed, and reaching for his retractable sword. He wouldn't meet her eyes, and anger swelled, but it wasn't at him. She spun to face Dan, inclining towards him, deep green eyes flashing.

"AND MAYBE I AM!" she yelled, before she realized what she had said. Then she gasped, slapping her hand across her mouth, but the damage was done. Oh, me and my monthlies, she thought in horror. They always caused her to act the same way Atlanta and Archie did every day. She didn't dare turn around to see the appalled expressions on her friends' faces. She thought she heard Atlanta erupt a tiny cheer, and resolved to hurt her later, when she wasn't as embarrassed.

Dan grinned evilly. "Now you two can be a cute little couple of dorks," he cooed. Theresa could barely retain herself, and without another word, punched him in the face. He froze for a moment, dumbstruck, staring at her. Then a deep red flush crept up his colossal neck, tiny little blue veins popping out. He swung at her, and then an outraged roar broke out from Jay, who rushed to her aid, Herry, Odie, and Neil right behind him. Then Archie, never one to miss out on all the fun, jumped into the cloud of dust created by the brawlers. Atlanta, after a roll of the eyes, quickly hopped in as well, kicking anything that was in her way.

"Ouch! Lannie, that was my freaking shin!"


	5. The Principal is Rejected

Chapter 4: The Principal is Rejected, and Jay Meets an Actress… Sort Of

**A/n: Sorry I haven't updated in so long. I hope you like this chapter. It's mostly funny, so I hope you aren't disappointed. It may seem a bit strange in some parts, but hey, doesn't everybody have wierd dreams? If you're wondering what I'm talking about, read on...**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Cott, but... I do have green eyes. But that doesn't have to do with anything, so... forget it. **

As soon as the dust had settled, Atlanta glanced around. Dan and his buddies were limping away, the smirks wiped off their pathetic faces. Archie was clasping his ankle, his face contorted in pain, Jay was favouring his left leg, and Herry was wiping blood from gushing out of his nose. Odie, ironically, didn't have more than a few scratches, and Neil, with his luck, had none at all. She stared down at herself and noted a few bloody knees and palms, but other than that she was unhurt.

A moan floated up from her left, and Lannie turned and cringed in horror. Theresa was laying down on her back on the pavement, and her head was wet with crimson blood. "Oh crap! Jay! Blood!" she cried, before the blood made her so nauseous that she fainted, crumpling to the ground in a heap. Leaping up, Jay winced as he put support on his injured leg. But when he saw Therri, his face went as white as a sheet. Miraculously, she lifted her head up and smiled weakly. "Oh, hey guys. What's up?" Then her eyelids closed over her large green pupils, and for a moment Jay wondered if she was dead. But her chest rose and fell rhythmically and steadily, so he was comforted by the thought of her still being there.

"What's going on here?" a cold, angry voice asked from behind them. The teens whirled around to face a stone-faced Ms. Pierson, their history teacher. Through large blue eyes she frowned at them, taking in their situation. Then she saw Theresa, and she made a hasty decision. "You," she snapped, pointing at Jay, "Call an ambulance and get her to the hospital. The rest help Atlanta and bring her and yourselves to the office. NOW." She didn't have to repeat herself. Scurrying quickly to obey, Jay reached into his pocket for his PMR and dialled 9-1-1.

Within minutes the ambulance had arrived, lights flashing and sirens blaring; and they loaded both Jay and Theresa into the back to go to the Emergency Room. Meanwhile, Archie was helped by Herry to walk, and Odie and Neil carried Atlanta between them. Ms. Pierson strode ahead, her stature straight and commanding. Although Herry was at least three heads taller than her and not quite as intimidated as the others, he scrambled behind her obediently, more afraid of Hera's wrath then anyone else's. As soon as the principal got them into trouble, the very queen of the gods would give them so much heck they'd believe they were in Tarturus, where Cronus should have been.

Herry was right. The principal dished out detentions on them, and then called Athena to come and pick up the wary students. Herry's truck would have to be left on the school property until the next day when he could drive it home.

When Athena walked into the office wearing skinny jeans and a dark blue tee-shirt, her blue eyes staring at them accusingly, Atlanta, who was now awake, blurted out, "It wasn't our entire fault! Dan was being a jerk!"

Archie murmured, "As usual." Athena shook her head sharply.

"No excuses. Come with me now. The principal, I'm sure, will hand out punishments to Dan and his group accordingly." Nodding politely towards the principal, who stood to one side stroking his bushy moustache thoughtfully, she glared at the teens. "Come then." They meekly began to follow her back when the principal called after her, "Ms Athena? Are you by any chance single? Want to go out for… coffee some time?" Archie nearly choked, and Odie and Neil snickered. Herry's jaw dropped, and he and Atlanta exchanged shocked glances.

"What the… our principal is hitting on Athena? I wonder if she'll turn him into a spider," Neil joked. Atlanta elbowed him in the ribs.

Athena smiled coldly. "I'm afraid I'm a bit too old for you." He stared at her, startled. "But you don't look any older than thirty!"

"Ever heard of plastic surgery?" Athena lied. "It's amazing stuff, I tell you. Made my fifty year old body look thirty. Glad it worked." Archie and Atlanta had to bit their lips to keep from bursting out laughing as their principal's face went pale. "Oh my, well, excuse me, Madam," he stuttered, before shooing them all out of his office. They were just able to catch his last words: "I knew I should have never made fun of that elderly lady at the us stop when I was twelve."

Athena grinned, shaking her head ruefully. "You mortals never cease to amaze me."

"Glad we can be of some entertainment value to you," Neil muttered darkly as they crowded into her large mini-van. "This sucks. Did someone fart? It stinks in here!"

"Yuck! Herry!"

Jay didn't remember falling asleep, but the next thing he knew he was being shaken awake by a nurse. Petite and blonde, she smiled kindly at him. "It's your turn for a check-up, dear." She checked the clip-board she held in her hands. "It's Jay, right?"

He nodded, and followed her into a hallway lined with doors. Through the first one on the left she led him and beckoned him to wait. Within minutes, a tall, gangly young doctor sprinted in, smiling cheerfully. "Hello there," she sang. "My name is Doctor Amy, and I'll be assisting you this fine evening." Bowing dramatically with great flourish, she grinned. Her large green eyes twinkled in the light of the room, and her long dark hair flounced around her shoulders. When he gave her no response, she straightened and adjusted her collar. "Okay, then," she said briskly, although a hint of a joke lingered in her words. "No reaction from the specimen. I must continue my search for some type of optimism within the teenager's mind."

Jay stared at her blankly. He had never had such a talkative doctor. Usually they were quiet and thoughtful, but this one blurted out everything in her mind. Just as well she wasn't a politician.

But…

"You didn't major to become a doctor at first, did you?"

"Rats. How did you guess?"

Well, it wasn't that hard, he thought sarcastically. "Umm…" What was he supposed to say? She talked too much, had really pretty eyes… he had heard that flattery got you everywhere… but what did having pretty eyes have to do with anything? Could he be… oh heck no, he was NOT crushing on a doctor who was probably thirty million years older than him. Those pretty eyes… he knew why he liked them… they were Theresa's eyes! Forest green, with a hint of sparkle that always showed she was a happy, go-lucky, beautiful and buoyant person! That was it. Then he realized he had said everything out loud.

She stood blinking at him, tears welling up in her eyes. "That's so sweet," she sniffled. "You like my eyes because they remind you of your girlfriend's." Oh great. He had nearly forgotten that actresses were very… emotional, that was the word.

"Oh, yeah, but you see, she's not…"

"I wish someone loved me that much."

Now they were way off topic. He didn't want to have to stay here patting her head awkwardly while she wept out her whole sad love life into his shoulder, probably wiping her nose on his shirt and forgetting how much he was in pain as well, but from hid foot, not his love life. Not that he had much of one, anyways.

"Shouldn't you be checking my leg to see if there are any injuries?" he asked. "Okay, wait. There is one. Find out what it is. Please," he said through clenched teeth. His ankle was throbbing, his heart was pounding from lack of food and exertion, and he was sweating like the buckets whenever she looked at him through Theresa's eyes. He imagined the girl being in the room with them, and blushed. Then he remembered why they were here in the first place, and he sobered. She was badly injured, and she may have lost a lot of blood. Shuddering at the thought, he quickly tried to calm his jumpy nerves by counting Cronus'.

He didn't count sheep. He counted Cronus' before he went to bed, and imagined himself putting them all in Tarturus over and over again. Those were the nights when he had nice dreams about being everybody's hero. The night he had nightmares were when he counted sheep. He'd dream of man-eating sheep, like the ones in Greek legends, which were coming to take over New Olympia and shred the people to pieces. He accounted that from watching one too many horror movies until late at night. They'd stampede through the city on a rampage, destroying everything in sight, much like Godzilla. People would run screaming through the streets, searching for shelter from the monsters. They, by the way, would be large sheep with muddy white wool, backwards baseball caps, and tattoos that said, Sheep Rule the World. Baa and We Might Think of Keeping You for a Chew Toy. Consider Yourselves Warned.

He'd dream of him and Theresa being locked in a room, and the sheep were pounding on the door, trying to get in. She sinks to the floor, sobbing, crying that they'd never make it out alive! The room is small, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and a desk with papers scattered across it. The last occupant left in a rush, leaving food to snack on in their mini fridge. They may be able to camp out, but for the sheep that are at their door. Already he sees large brown eyes staring at him through the panes, watching their every move hungrily. A large baa shakes the building, and Theresa shrieks even louder, terror scrawled across her face. He turns from her, not wanting to see her in pain.

"Oh Jay, I never told you I loved you," she wails. He whirls around and joins her, kneeling. Taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger, he'd lean close to her and whisper, "You just did." Her face would light up, and for a moment, they think they'll survive, if not in their love… her eyes are shining like emeralds. Her full lips break into a large, beaming smile, her pearly white teeth blinding him with their lustre.

"I'm so glad we have a chance to tell each other the truth before we die," she murmurs, and they lean close to each other… their lips are almost touching… he can smell her jasmine perfume…

"Jay! Jay!" The doctor shook him out of his daydream, which was really scary, but somewhat nice, or had been until she snapped him out of it.

"What?" he asked bluntly. He wished he could have at least imagined his first kiss before she so rudely brought him back down to earth.

"I've finished your check-up, and it's simply a sprain. You're to stay off of it for four weeks."

Four weeks? He'd have to stay out of gym, out of training with Ares, when they got all sweaty and gross, and Theresa always beat him at karate… As he thought about it, he realized this could be good.

"Could you make it five?" Giving her a pleading look, he thought joyfully of all those days he would get off school early to plan a strategy against Cronus.

After giving him a confused glance, she shook her head. "Four, and be careful when you're forced to walk."

She wrote him out a prescription for painkillers, and then she jounced out of the room to her next patient. Jay limped out and ran into two nurses with a stretcher coming towards his room. They loaded him onto it and trolled him into a room. Large white curtains that fluttered down to the floor lined the windows, which overlooked the ocean. The sky was a pale yellowish pink, and he could make out a few stars overhead where the night met the evening. Boats sailed leisurely on the Pacific Ocean, and gulls drifted on the gentle, invisible winds. The surf crashed against the rocky crags, and Jay wondered how so much beauty could be in such a tiny area. Then again, he thought, That's how it is with Theresa, isn't it? She's all beauty from the inside out, even though it's hard to imagine all the beauty fitting into one hundred and twenty pounds of girl. He sighed, and then realized how absolutely ridiculous his thoughts were. He had to get a hobby other than concentrating on her all day. It wasn't healthy to focus all that energy into just thought. He wanted to go out and sail to clear his mind.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" asked one of the nurses, before hurrying out of the room. Jay nearly asked him what he was talking about, but clued in that it was the scenery, and not the girl he had been imagining about nearly all day. Jay fell asleep instantly, not even bothering to ask if he could change into something more comfortable first. And he even forgot to count his Cronus'.


End file.
